Tiered storage device providing for migration of prioritized application specific data responsive to frequently referenced data

Abstract

Data is placed in tiered storage with a suitable granularity according to application characteristics. The storage apparatus comprises a controller for managing storage areas, provided by storage media of a plurality of types of varying performance, as pools, and for assigning the storage areas in page units to a virtual volume from any tiered storage among a plurality of types of tiered storage which the pool comprises in response to a data write request from the host computer, wherein, for specific data which is managed by the host computer, the controller specifies an area with a high referencing frequency among the specific data on the basis of organization information of the specific data, and moves this area to another of the tiered storage with a higher performance than an already assigned tiered storage.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A storage system comprising:
 a host computer configured to execute a plurality of application simultaneously; and 
 a management computer, 
 wherein a storage apparatus and the host computer are connected, the host computer including non-transitory computer media storing a storage program that is executable by the host computer, 
 wherein the host computer is configured to be operably coupled to the management computer, 
 wherein the host computer is configured to: 
 designate an application name of an application targeted for execution and prescribed by a job; 
 designate a data set name for the application targeted for execution as the job; 
 designate at least one of a job name, a job class, and a job user; 
 initiate the job upon receiving an indication from a user to execute the job, wherein: 
 the host computer comprises processing components including a job reception module, a job spool module, and an application execution module; 
 when the user provides the indication to execute the job, the job reception module receives the job and instructs the host computer to acquire information prescribed by the job; 
 the job spool module is configured to postpone execution of the job until the application execution module enables job processing; 
 when the application execution module enables the job processing, the host computer is configured to switch processing from processing by the job spool module to processing by the application execution module; 
 the application execution module is configured to execute the application prescribed by the job such that upon execution of the application, application program data prescribed by the job is referenced; and 
 upon completion of the processing by the application execution module, the host computer is configured to execute processing to end the job, 
 wherein the management computer is configured to: 
 execute tiered storage control processing based on file organization of an executed job detected in a tiered storage assignment operation by acquiring file organization information of an executed job from a control target data management table; 
 acquire, from an I/O frequency management table, (1) highest frequency area information on areas accessed with a highest frequency in the file organization of the executed job and (2) next highest frequency area information on areas accessed with a next highest frequency in the file organization of the executed job; 
 judge, in carrying out the tiered storage control, whether there is top tiered storage capacity available for a data set based on the acquired (1) highest frequency area information and (2) next highest frequency area information; 
 determine, based on a result of the judgment, whether the data set is storable in an upper tiered storage; and 
 assign the data set to the upper tier storage when it is determined that the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       2. The storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to acquire a state of tiered storage of the storage apparatus connected to the host computer; 
 the management computer is configured to carry out tiered storage assignment processing after acquiring the state of tiered storage of the storage apparatus; 
 the management computer is configured to issue an instruction related to a state of storage capacity of the tiered storage to the host computer; 
 upon receipt of the instruction, the host computer is configured to create an I/O request designating a pool state acquisition as instruction content, and to issue the I/O request to the storage apparatus, the I/O request indicating a pool ID; 
 the storage apparatus configured to receive the I/O request is further configured to reference tiered storage pool management information containing the pool ID indicated in the I/O request; 
 the storage apparatus is further configured to send a tiered storage number, total capacity information, and unused total capacity information to the host computer in an I/O request reply; and 
 upon receiving the I/O request reply, the management computer is configured to update a tiered storage usage management computer. 
 
     
     
       3. The storage system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to determine whether the file organization is virtual storage access; 
 when the file organization is virtual storage access, the management computer is configured to execute processing so as to carry out tiered storage control of virtual storage access file organization; 
 the management computer is configured to ascertain, as a result of acquiring the I/O frequency management table, that an area with the highest I/O frequency is an index area, and an area with the next highest I/O frequency is the data set; and 
 the management computer is configured to reference unused capacity in the tiered storage usage status management table so as to determine whether the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       4. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to assign the data set to the upper tier storage when the management computer determines that the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage by registering the data set and corresponding tier numbers in a tier table and providing a command to the host computer to execute page tier movement and to initiate a page lock in accordance with the tier table; 
 upon receiving the command, the host computer is configured to create a first I/O request to register page tier movement and a second I/O request to register initiation of the page lock, and to issue an instruction to the storage apparatus; 
 the storage apparatus is configured to receive the first and second I/O requests and to perform page movement and page lock processing in accordance with the respective requests; and 
 the management computer is configured to update values of page locked capacity in the tiered storage usage management table, and to designate a priority level for the job. 
 
     
     
       5. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to assess upper tier capacity when the management computer determines that the data set is not storable in the upper tiered storage; and 
 the management compute is configured to assess the upper tier capacity by referencing unused capacity in a tiered storage usage status management table, and by referencing the unused capacity to determine whether an index area with a highest referencing frequency in the data set used by the job is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       6. The storage system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 when the management computer determines that the index area is storable in the upper tiered stage, the management computer instructs the storage apparatus to perform the tiered storage control; 
 upon performance of the tiered stage control, the management computer is configured to adjust file organization details in a control target data management table and to update the tiered storage usage status management table; and 
 when the management computer determines that the index area is not storable in the upper tiered storage, the management computer is configured to execute interception processing. 
 
     
     
       7. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein when the management computer determines that the file organization is not virtual storage access and is partitioned organization, the management computer is configured to:
 determine whether upper tiered storage capacity is available for a first area of the data set by acquiring partitioned organization information and I/O frequency information from an I/O frequency management table; 
 ascertain whether an area with a highest I/O frequency is a directory area; and 
 reference unused capacity to determine whether the directory area is storable in upper tiered area within the data set used by the job. 
 
     
     
       8. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein when the management computer determines that the file organization is sequential organization, the management computer is configured to perform tiered storage control for sequential file organization, comprising:
 determining whether upper tiered storage capacity is available for a volume table of contents (VTOC) area by acquiring partitioned organization information and I/O frequency information from an I/O frequency management table; 
 ascertaining whether an area with a highest I/O frequency is a VTOC area; 
 referencing unused capacity to determine whether the VTOC area is storable in upper tiered area within the data set used by the job. 
 
     
     
       9. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to perform assignment tiered storage reproduction processing so as to reproduce data in the tiered storage by the tiered storage control processing, when the tiered storage control processing is executed previously and when an I/O performance meets a predetermined threshold performance. 
 
     
     
       10. The storage system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the management computer is configured to determine the unused capacity required for each tier number by calculating a number of rows in an address map with a common tier number, and is further configured to reference a previous tier based on a previous tier pointer so as to determine whether the unused capacity for each of a plurality of storage tiers suffices for reproduction of a previous data set. 
 
     
     
       11. A storage hierarchy control method for a storage system in which a storage apparatus, a host computer configured to communicate with the storage apparatus, and a management computer configured to manage the storage apparatus and the host computer that are interconnected via a network, the management computer being operably coupled to the host computer, the method comprising:
 designating an application name of an application targeted for execution and prescribed by a job; 
 designating a data set name for the application targeted for execution as the job; 
 designating at least one of a job name, a job class, and a job user; 
 initiating the job upon receiving an indication from a user to execute the job, the host computer comprising processing components including a job reception module, a job spool module, and an application execution module; 
 when the user provides the indication to execute the job, receiving, in the job reception module the job and instructing the host computer to acquire information prescribed by the job; 
 postponing execution, by the job spool module, of the job until the application execution module enables job processing; 
 enabling job processing by the application execution module, and thereafter switching processing from processing by the job spool module to processing by the application execution module; 
 executing the application prescribed by the job by the application execution module such that upon execution of the application, application program data prescribed by the job is referenced; 
 upon completion of the processing by the application execution module, executing processing by the host computer to end the job; 
 executing tiered storage control processing based on file organization of an executed job detected in a tiered storage assignment operation by acquiring file organization information of an executed job from a control target data management table; 
 acquiring, from an I/O frequency management table, (1) highest frequency area information on areas accessed with a highest frequency in the file organization of the executed job and (2) next highest frequency area information on areas accessed with a next highest frequency in the file organization of the executed job; 
 judging, in carrying out the tiered storage control, whether there is top tiered storage capacity available for a data set based on the acquired (1) highest frequency area information and (2) next highest frequency area information; 
 determining, based on a result of the judgment, whether the data set is storable in an upper tiered storage; and 
 assigning the data set to the upper tier storage when it is determined that the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       12. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 acquiring a state of tiered storage of the storage apparatus connected to the host computer; 
 carrying out tiered storage assignment processing after acquiring the state of tiered storage of the storage apparatus; 
 issuing an instruction related to a state of storage capacity of the tiered storage to the host computer; 
 upon receipt of the instruction, creating an I/O request designating a pool state acquisition as instruction content, and issuing the I/O request to the storage apparatus, the I/O request indicating a pool ID; 
 receiving, by the storage apparatus, the I/O request and referencing tiered storage pool management information containing the pool ID indicated in the I/O request; 
 sending, by the storage apparatus, a tiered storage number, total capacity information, and unused total capacity information to the host computer in an I/O request reply; and 
 upon receipt of the I/O request reply by the management computer, updating a tiered storage usage management computer. 
 
     
     
       13. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining whether the file organization is virtual storage access; 
 when the file organization is virtual storage access, executing processing so as to carry out tiered storage control of virtual storage access file organization; 
 ascertaining, as a result of acquiring the I/O frequency management table, that an area with the highest I/O frequency is an index area, and an area with the next highest I/O frequency is the data set; and 
 referencing unused capacity in the tiered storage usage status management table so as to determine whether the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       14. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 assigning the data set to the upper tier storage when the management computer determines that the data set is storable in the upper tiered storage by registering the data set and corresponding tier numbers in a tier table and providing a command to the host computer to execute page tier movement and to initiate a page lock in accordance with the tier table; 
 upon receiving the command, creating a first I/O request to register page tier movement and a second I/O request to register initiation of the page lock, and issuing an instruction to the storage apparatus; 
 receiving the first and second I/O requests and performing page movement and page lock processing in accordance with the respective requests; and 
 updating values of page locked capacity in the tiered storage usage management table, and designating a priority level for the job. 
 
     
     
       15. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 assessing upper tier capacity when the management computer determines that the data set is not storable in the upper tiered storage, 
 assessing the upper tier capacity by referencing unused capacity in a tiered storage usage status management table, and by referencing the unused capacity to determine whether an index area with a highest referencing frequency in the data set used by the job is storable in the upper tiered storage. 
 
     
     
       16. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 upon determining that the index area is storable in the upper tiered stage, instructing the storage apparatus to perform the tiered storage control; 
 upon performance of the tiered stage control, adjusting file organization details in a control target data management table and updating the tiered storage usage status management table; and 
 upon determining that the index area is not storable in the upper tiered storage, executing interception processing. 
 
     
     
       17. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 upon determining that the file organization is not virtual storage access and is partitioned organization, further determining whether upper tiered storage capacity is available for a first area of the data set, 
 wherein determining whether the upper tiered storage is available comprises: 
 acquiring partitioned organization information and I/O frequency information from an I/O frequency management table; 
 ascertaining whether an area with a highest I/O frequency is a directory area; and 
 referencing unused capacity to determine whether the directory area is storable in upper tiered area within the data set used by the job. 
 
     
     
       18. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 upon determining that the file organization is sequential organization, performing tiered storage control for sequential file organization, the tiered storage control comprising: 
 determining whether upper tiered storage capacity is available for a volume table of contents (VTOC) area by acquiring partitioned organization information and I/O frequency information from an I/O frequency management table; 
 ascertaining whether an area with a highest I/O frequency is a VTOC area; and 
 referencing unused capacity to determine whether the VTOC area is storable in upper tiered area within the data set used by the job. 
 
     
     
       19. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 performing assignment tiered storage reproduction processing so as to reproduce data in the tiered storage by the tiered storage control processing, when the tiered storage control processing is executed previously and when an I/O performance meets a predetermined threshold performance. 
 
     
     
       20. The storage hierarchy control method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining the unused capacity required for each tier number by calculating a number of rows in an address map with a common tier number, and referencing a previous tier based on a previous tier pointer so as to determine whether the unused capacity for each of a plurality of storage tiers suffices for reproduction of a previous data set.